Category: poems

the sun has shone it all out on the angry ground and the grass is crying for pity in the evening we will all grow red the babies will lie in the darkness and the people will watch him sink below the horizon leaving art forms behind him. [York, 1975]

I’m sorry to have to say but he’s not really listening anyway [Berlin, July 1985]    

thin line blade sharp between will and wish up high board look down clear blue you know that feeling the world over we have all stood in that second split ready to springboard high dive jump air lungs full ecstatic motion and when we were young how many times did we run and stop look…

I lie there in the snow freezing my palm to your palm and squeezing every drop of gin from my blood that spelt impurity but I can never get back what I have lost because I was out to lose it much too fast if you were to join me here in the dark overgrown…

I fell arms open wide not flailing but wondrously welcome like standing in the open ground rain sheeting soaking mouth licking slight prickle shiver but warm to the touch hot to hold yes yes I’ll take it all for better often for worse for whatever no appointments never knowing the next plunging through danger and…

listen. can you hear Mrs Flotsam call her children in from the river or the puff huff as Mr Bland blows up another dinghy or a ball or is it Susan’s other water wing? the buckets and balls and beach apparel equipment in glossy colours all plastic next to the sandy coloured sand. Mrs Flotsam…

frog jester has hopped off limply dejected weary head between webbed feet the princess lies alone lonely in her castle not even a pea to liven up the bed wishing her kisses had done the trick but a frog is a frog there’s no messing with reality

err, errer, errare be mistaken or incorrect do wrong, sin stray, be wicked scoff at virtue, fall from grace, misbehave, be naughty lead astray err on the right side errant, errer. itinerary deviating from an acceptable standard aberrant non-conformist abnormal unconformable wandering rambling roving vagrant loose footloose leave the straight, digress, make a detour, branch…

Bone turns to stone in earth buried interred imprisoned in isolation seriously linear the simplicity, the innocence of separation loss loneliness grief suffering pain feel it in my bones a strict no to frivolity focus on the real concentrate on substance the essential the material the vital point rake over the bones get your house…